Half of London cyclists feel unsafe cycling alone during rush hour, according to new data.

Cycle SOS surveyed 2,005 nationally representative UK cyclists to uncover how safe they feel when alone on the roads, and the factors which make them feel more unsafe.

How safe do people feel cycling alone in London?

39% of cyclists in Greater London reported that they feel safe ‘all the time’ when cycling alone; 54% feel safe sometimes, and 6% never feel safe cycling alone.

This indicates that cyclists in London feel safer than the average UK cyclist, as 37% of all participants stated that they feel safe cycling alone at all times.

What makes cyclists feel unsafe when cycling alone in London?

Cycling during rush hour is the main cause of cyclists feeling unsafe when cycling alone in Greater London, with 50% citing this as a cause for concern on the roads.

This was closely followed by poor road conditions, such as potholes and lack of cycle lanes, which in contrast was the most common reason cited across all UK cyclists.

Cycle SOS asked cyclists which factors (if any) make them feel unsafe when cycling alone. The most common answers from cyclists in Greater London, in order of popularity, were:

Cycling during rush hour
50% of cyclists in Greater London said that this makes them feel unsafe
Poor road conditions such as uneven terrain, potholes and a lack of cycling lanes
49% of cyclists in Greater London said that this makes them feel unsafe
Weather conditions such as rain, fog, snow and wind
49% of cyclists in Greater London said that this makes them feel unsafe
Lack of visibility on the roads when it’s dark
46% of cyclists in Greater London said that this makes them feel unsafe
Cycling at night
44% of cyclists in Greater London said that this makes them feel unsafe
Unpleasant or abusive behaviour from drivers and/or pedestrians
43% of cyclists in Greater London said that this makes them feel unsafe
Unsafe practices from other cyclists
27% of cyclists in Greater London said that this makes them feel unsafe
Not having other cyclists with me in case something goes wrong
20% of cyclists in Greater London said that this makes them feel unsafe
What first-hand experiences have made cyclists in Greater London feel unsafe on the roads?

A higher proportion of cyclists in Greater London, than any other UK region, feel unsafe cycling, having witnessed an accident or injury happening to someone else when they were cycling.

45% of London cyclists cited that this has impacted their feeling of safety on the roads.

Cycle SOS also asked cyclists whether negative first-hand experiences have impacted their feeling of safety on the roads. They found that:

40% of cyclists in Greater London feel less safe since experiencing verbal abuse whilst cycling
37% of cyclists in Greater London feel less safe since witnessing verbal abuse happening to another cyclist
31% of cyclists in Greater London feel less safe following an accident or injury maintained whilst cycling
Commenting on the findings Bob Coupland, Head of Bike Claims at Cycle SOS said:

“Cyclists have the same rights to travel on the roads as drivers do, yet undeniably they are faced with more barriers to feeling safe. That’s why we wanted to find out more about how safe cyclists feel when cycling alone, and investigate the key factors which can impact someone’s feeling of safety on the roads.”

“It’s alarming to see that almost half of cyclists in Greater London feel more unsafe on the roads after witnessing an accident or injury happen to someone else when cycling – more so than cyclists in any other area of the UK. Cycling during busy rush hour traffic is also a key concern for London cyclists, according to the data, with 50% of local cyclists citing this as a factor impacting their feeling of safety on the roads.”